Bamboo Baskets:
Former Neutrogena Chief Executive Lloyd Cotsen has had a 40-year love affair with Japanese baskets. The retired executive has spent decades and millions of dollars collecting the delicate pieces. Now the public can see them. An exhibition of 100 of Cotsen’s baskets will take place from Nov. 3 to Jan. 13 at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. Many of the baskets were originally made to hold flowers for the informal tea ceremony. Among the objects featured is a flower container made in the 19th century by Suzuki Kyokushosai. Another is an abstract basket made in 1956 by Maeda Chikubosai II. Information: (626) 449-2742.
Hidden Faces:
For screenwriters, it’s time for their Hollywood close-up. A photographic essay showcasing the photos of various screenwriters behind the camera opens at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum on Nov. 1 and can be viewed until Dec. 16. The 20-photo exhibition showcases the works of photographers/authors Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen. The pair snapped photos of Hollywood legends such as Billy Wilder, Frank Darabont, Nora Ephron, Julius Epstein and William Goldman. Information: (323) 465-7900 or www.hollywoodmuseum.com.
Laugh In:
Just about every Thursday evening at the Hollywood Improv Comedy Club, Drew Carey and Ryan Stiles practice their wit and wisdom in front of an understanding audience before they hit the TV screen in their weekly improv show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The action starts at 9 p.m. and it’s a chance for the public to see how brain power is harnessed to make comedy. Carey and Stiles also appear in the weekly sitcom “The Drew Carey Show.” Information: (323) 651-2583.
Blue Diamond:
Neil Diamond may not be hitting the charts much these days, but that hasn’t stopped Super Diamond, a six-member band from San Francisco from doing Neil Diamond tributes since 1993. Super Diamond is playing at the House of Blues Sunset Strip on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27. The band was started by design engineer Randy Cordero, who got his first Neil Diamond album when he was 11. Cordero twists his voice into the husky baritones of Diamond proving that retro can be cool. The band has become so successful that Cordero has been able to quit his day job. Information: (323) 848-5100 or www.hob.com.
Laugh In:
